Whenever you see any depiction of Gautama Buddha, you are not going to see an angry, pressurized posture that seems to be burning with envy or jealousy. Rather, you will notice that he is very serene and always smiling. When he achieved “enlightenment”, there were certain things of life that he discovered. We can use his observations for our own lives:
Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Truths can never be hidden. You might try to hide it today, but it will be revealed tomorrow. So, there is no point in covering lies, and it reveals itself in the most honest ways.
You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.
Consider anger to be a weapon. It has the power to slay your enemy, but it also slays you. Your conscious is blinded by your anger and when you say things when you are angry, it can hurt others. Hence, it’s better to keep calm and silence when you get angry.
You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.
We, humans, crave for love and affection from others. We keep seeking attention. But that leaves us neglecting ourselves. But you should know that you come before others, and only when you do, you can love someone else selflessly.
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
The deal is you need to stay optimistic. Think of happiness and you will be happy.
You only lose what you cling to.
Attachment is a bad thing according to Buddha. If we get too dependent on anything, then we start losing it.
Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
It’s necessary to use your own reasoning and your own logic when you try to understand some things. Don’t believe it just because someone else says it.
Physical charms attract the eyes, goodness attracts the mind.
People are attracted to what looks good, but it’s what’s the quality that matters. Good character is like an identity. Don’t judge anything by the outside, do it by the inside.
Just as on a rubbish heap swept up on the main road a purely fragrant, delightful lotus might there spring up, even so amidst those rubbish heaps (of men) does the savaka of the Perfectly Enlightened One outshine in insight the blind puthujjana
Amid all the negativity, if you are strong enough, you can resist the bad and bloom like a lotus in mud lake. The implication is for students: with hard work, you can rise above other ordinary students.
When you like a flower, you just pluck it. But when you love a flower, you water it daily.
Love and lust are two different things. You work on the relationship when you love someone, but you only satisfy your physical needs when you are in lust.
A jug fills drop by drop.
It’s the same as “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” The key is the start small if you want to finish it big. With steadiness and calmness, you will achieve the big dream one day.
It is better to travel well than to arrive.
You are a traveler in the journey of life. It’s in the process, not on the end goals. You can only enjoy yourself if you live in the present than in the past or the future. So, live and travel well.